Have A Little Faith
by Lady of Dreams2701
Summary: When Aro discovers the abilities of a vampire, Addison, he sends Demetri to find her. As the two journey back to Volterra, they form a bond that is fated to become more then friendship. Feat. Cullens & Werewolves. Please R
1. Chapter 1

**Have a Little Faith**

**Chapter One: Addison & Adriano**

A/N: As always, I don't own anything except my water bottle. :P

***16 ½ Years Ago***

_"Hey, Addy, it's me, Mike, which isn't to say that you don't know who I am it's just- well, I'm making sure that you're sure that I am- I mean, that you know who it is, that's all. Not to say that you get calls from bunches of guys all the time, I just- well, I'm not trying to say that you don't get calls from bunches of guys- I mean, you can talk whoever you want, right?"_ Mike broke off suddenly, and sighed. He must have known he sounded completely ridiculous. Addison's eyebrows were traveling farther upwards as he went on with his spluttered nonsense. _"Well, I just wanted to… to call, and see what you were up to, and everything. You know, Nat said you were with some older guy, and- and I just wanted to… well, I mean you haven't called me back and I must have left you a ton of messages... I'm getting worried, Addy, I wouldn't want anything bad-"_

Addison deleted his message with a sharp, impatient jab.

_"Hey, Addy, it's Nathalie. I was just speaking to Mike, and he's really wor-"_

Addison deleted this message as well.

_"Addison, it's Lizzy, and I was just wondering, like, where the hell have you been? We're all really worried-" _ Delete.

_"Addy, it's Morgan, and where the hell are you these days? You're always with that guy-"_ Delete.

_"Addison, it's Hannah-"_

_"Addison, it's me, Taylor, where are-"_

_"Addy, where are you-"_

Delete. Delete. Delete.

Addison ran a hand through her hair as she did so. When all the messages were deleted, she went up to her bedroom. She paced in her agitation. Back and forth, back and forth, and with each step she thought of Adriano. The mysterious and incredibly, breathtakingly handsome Adriano who had swept her off her feet with a few simple words. He was so charming, yet so _secretive_…

A noise came from behind her and Addison jumped as she turned to face the door. She was about to say something when he was at her side. His eyes were a brilliant red, and almost half-crazed as he gazed down at her with a mixture of longing and… what else was there?

"Shh, Addison, shh…" He whispered as he bent down to kiss her throat… "Trust me, Addison; life will be better for you from now on. Trust me.

"I'm giving you the greatest gift the world has to offer you."

***Present Day***

Addison snapped out of her daydreams, the only type of dreams allotted to her. She was sitting in an old, vacated building. All around her were vampires. The number of newborn vampires was far greater then that of the mature ones. All of them were waiting… just waiting. Adriano was pacing before Addison, and the Russian Twins were attempting to keep the piece amidst the newborns with a truckload of terrified humans. Addison just tilted her head back and closed her eyes, wondering if there was anything to gain from this. Nataliya and Katya seemed to think there was. Adriano was dead certain that there was something to be gained from the battle they were about to fight, but Addison was not convinced. She wasn't even sure what this big threat was. She'd asked Adriano, and he'd snarled his answer.

"The oppressive, and the unjust Volturi, Addison, and they have escaped with this for far too long. That's who we're fighting."

"The Volturi are pretty much our government, Addison," Nataliya had explained, "They are vile and corrupt. It is our duty, for all vampires, to destroy them."

Katya had told her tales of the Volturi. How they had killed slaughtered poor children that had been blessed with immortality injudiciously. How they had slaughtered the vampires of the South for building armies to defend themselves and their families. How they had overthrown the fair and most just Romanians who had sought only to better the lives of vampires.

Addison didn't really understand why the duty to destroy this Volturi fell upon their shoulders. Why it just _had_ to be them who annihilated them. Why couldn't it be someone else? After all, they sounded infallible. Not really a fight Addison was willing to get involved in.

Hours passed by, and then more time slipped through their fingers. Adriano and the Russian Twins passed the time by attempting to keep the peace between the savage newborns. When he wasn't needed, Adriano paced. While he did so, he muttered to himself.

"This is our time… This is for them… yes, this is our time…"

* * *

The next thing Addison knew, the Volturi were there. They stood before them in the clearing. Adriano and the Russian Twin's numbers outnumbered that of the Volturi, without doubt. But somehow, something told her that their numbers wouldn't stop the all powerful Volturi. Adriano was grinning an insane grin beside her. There was something like triumph on his handsome face, but past the insanity it was hard to be sure. The Volturi looked unsure of themselves as they gazed.

"Adriano, what is this?" One of the leaders said his face looking outraged. "And Katya and Nataliya, too!"

"This is your downfall, Aro," Adriano said, his insane grin taking over his entire face. "This is for all the innocents you've struck down."

"My down-?"

"Attack!" Nataliya yelled loudly.

Suddenly, all the newborns behind Addison rushed forward. They threw themselves on the guard in well under a second. Katya and Nataliya rushed one of the two smallest. Nataliya fell to the ground shrieking, but Katya knocked the small girl off her feet. Adriano rushed what appeared to be her twin. The newborns were attacking, and they appeared to be winning, at first. Many rushed at the leader, Aro, but all of them turned around instantly, heading in the other direction, their expressions befuddled. Addison didn't realize she was backing up at first. She was watching one of the newborns being torn to shreds by a hulking, menacing figure. Another of the guard was lighting a fire…

"Adriano!" Addison said in a whisper. Her mate had frozen, completely unaware. Addison could see the small boy… With a flash, Adriano had unfrozen, and the boy was falling over himself under Addison's spell. Whenever he got his footing he would fall again. Adriano took advantage of his weakness and dove at the boy. However as suddenly as he was distracted, the boy stood up straight. Confused, Adriano turned to look at Addison. She stood, brow furrowed at the edge of the battle. Just as he was about to run towards her, he froze again, unable to feel anything at all.

Addison's thoughts were in turmoil. Why was she really here again? What did she owe Adriano? Did her love for him mean that she had to die here for him, on this pointless suicide mission? What did she owe Katya or Nataliya? Adriano was the one who had known the Russian Twins half his life, not Addison. She had known the duo for all of three months. With that, Addison knew that all that was left for her was to run. As she turned to leave, a particularly big Volturi fighter was standing before her. He wore a menacing grin, as he crouched.

"Leaving us so soon?"

"Yes, I think so," Addison replied coolly.

"That's a shame, and the party's just getting started, too…"

"My loss, I suppose," Addison hissed just as the Guard member was about to dive at her, on of his comrades abandoned the newborn vampire he'd been fighting (who immediately ran fled from the battle that commenced before them) and jumped in his path sinking into a similar crouch.

"Santiago, what-?"

Santiago growled at Felix and dove at him.

"What the-?" Felix threw Santiago off of him. Within that instant, Santiago came to, confused. Felix looked up, and the girl had gone. "Fuck, why the fuck did you do that?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Have a Little Faith**

Chapter Two: Demetri

Addison had been running for an entire week. A part of her felt sickened with herself for leaving Adriano and Katya and Nataliya there to die at the hands of the Volturi. If she had only stayed, maybe she could have helped keep them all alive, she thought. However there was another voice, a stronger voice, and by far more stubborn one that told her that she'd done the right thing. It told her to not feel bad about abandoning Adriano, because the only reason he'd turned her in the first place was because he was certain that she would be extremely powerful. He was oh so certain that she was _special_…

She was ignorant to her current location. All she knew was that she was in the woods in some small town in some random state. All was irrelevant now, Addison thought gloomily. She had no family anymore. Adriano, Katya, Nataliya, the newborns… they were all, surely, dead. She did hold onto some small piece of mind. This mess wasn't her doing. No, it was Adriano. It was Adriano who had lost his entire family to the Volturi. One day, his coven had gone to visit the beautiful ancient city of Volterra. Christiano had practically been Adriano's brother, and he'd gone and fed on a human in Volterra. Though they left neither evidence nor human witnesses… The Volturi found out. Christiano and their creator, Antony, were killed for it. Adriano all but lost his mind after that. Later, he found the clever Russian duo that shared his hatred for the Volturi. The Russian Twins had been very closely involved with some of the Romanians, the old rulers who the Volturi had overthrown in their rise to power over all the immortals. Upon the Romanians' downfall, the Russian Twins lost whatever power they had had under their rule, too.

Addison stood in a tree high above the ground. She leaned against the trunk, completely motionless. Her burgundy eyes were alive with color thanks to her recent feeding. Addison sighed as she contemplated her next move. She'd been told that some vampires lived as nomads. Maybe that was her fate; to wonder the land, alone, only stopping when it was time to feed again…

Suddenly, Addison straightened. There was someone coming in her direction… someone moving very fast. Addison sprung into action at once, jumping down to a lower branch with astounding inhuman finesse. Listening carefully, she heard the quick footsteps growing closer and closer. Then he was there. Addison could see his wavy black hair, his beautiful face, and his crimson eyes. He was a vampire, Addison could tell with absolute certainty. What was more, she'd seen him before.

He was with the Volturi.

Demetri frowned slightly as he glanced around the thicket of trees. The girl, Addison, was here, he could tell. He waited calmly, listening intently. Then he heard a light rustle of leaves above. Inaudible to human ears, he knew she was up there, watching him.

"I am not here to punish you," Demetri called upwards quietly, "I've been sent to make an offer."

She didn't respond, at first. Perhaps she was still hoping he wasn't really certain of her whereabouts. Or maybe she was thinking over his words carefully, weighing her options, trying to identify the best one. Just as he was about to speak again, she replied.

"What kind of an offer?"

Demetri smiled. "My master has interrogated all those left. He knows of your innocence, and he knows of your talent. My master would very much like it if you would come to meet him."

"That's not a very good offer. You could easily be luring me to my death."

Demetri chuckled. "The Volturi does not lure people to their death."

"That's not what I've heard."

With that Addison finally came into view, her eyes alight with curiosity. She had a long sheet of golden brown hair and the face of someone in the prime of her youth. She was tall; Demetri could see that even from where he was positioned. She was clearly very thin, as well. But most importantly, she was beautiful, as were all the immortals.

"If I wanted you dead, I probably would have attacked you by now." Demetri pointed out, as he watched her from her position overhead.

"Maybe you're waiting for us to be on, ah… equal ground, perhaps?" Addison suggested, leaning casually against the tree.

Demetri chuckled again. "I was told you've been told stories of our wickedness. I can assure you that they are false."

"Even if they weren't, you'd probably be saying that."

"True."

Addison gazed at him thoughtfully. "What's your name?"

"Demetri," he answered.

"My name is Addison."

"Yes, I've been told," Demetri replied calmly.

"By who?"

"My master was informed by your friends Adriano, Katya, and Nataliya," Demetri told her.

There was a pause in their conversation. A bird took off from a near by branch. A few crickets chirped. A breezed played gently with Addison's long, silky hair, though she paid it no mind.

"The Volturi is not wicked, like you've been told."

"Really?" Addison said her lovely face full of skepticism, and a hidden curiosity for Demetri's words.

"The Volturi's purpose is to protect the secrets of our kind; to keep us from exposure to humans. Sometimes it involves sacrificing some of our kind, for the safety of the rest. We do so with great remorse and regret, I assure you, but we know that it must be done to protect us all."

"What about the slaughtering of innocent children?"

"Do you refer to the plague of the immortal children?"

"I suppose that is what I'm talking about."

Demetri smiled up at her for a moment. "If you come down, I promise I will tell you."

Addison gazed at him thoughtfully for a moment. Then, with amazing agility, she leapt down from her branch and landed in front of Demetri gracefully. She stared up at him and he held out his hand to her. Addison gazed at it for a moment, wondering if it was some sort of trick. Like, perhaps he would tear her arm off, or something. Nevertheless, she placed her hand in his.

"The plague of the immortal children was a long time ago. At this time, mature vampires decided to experiment by giving immortality to human toddlers. These children could not learn. They were forever frozen in their young form. Their temper tantrums would destroy half a village. My master studied them all that he could, to see if something could be done, if there was some way to get them to learn the rules, or anything at all, for that matter…

"This proved impossible. It was a terrible time. For the sake of the rest, we knew we had to destroy them. I can assure you, Addison, that we only resorted to this because it was our very last option, only when we were absolutely certain that no other solution was possible."

Addison was silent. They walked through the woods with no conscious thought as to where they were headed. Sunlight was shining through the branches above them. Their skin sparkled beautifully, like diamonds. Animals took off in the other direction at the sight of the two gorgeous immortals walking in their direction. Addison was thoughtful as they walked, thinking over her options carefully, wondering if Demetri was speaking the truth. She could risk going with him to visit the powerful Volturi, but she could also be killed once she arrived.

Soon, they reached the edge of the woods. The sun shone brightly for a moment, glinting off their diamond-like flesh. Then, a cloud moved in front of the sun, and their skin resumed it's less attention-grabbing form. Though, of course, the pair of vampires were still positively ethereal and very eye-catching. They stood in silence for a moment longer until Demetri turned in front of Addison, smiling warmly down at her as she gazed up at him.

"So, Addison? What do you say? Will you join me? Will you visit the Volturi at my Master's request?"

Addison stared up at him for a moment or two before asking, "Where is the Volturi, anyway?"

"Have you not been told already?"

Addison shook her head.

"It's in Italy," Demetri told her.

Addison nodded absentmindedly, still contemplating her options, and trying to decide what her best one was. "It's a long journey to Italy from here, isn't it?"

"Yes," said Demetri, "But it would be a much greater comfort to me to not have to travel that long distance alone."

Addison smiled up at him for a moment. Then, she glanced up at the sky. A great clutter of clouds was moving over their heads, becoming one, and they threatened a storm. She could here all sorts of distant sounds and she let them fill her ears: cars up on the highway, kids laughing at the park that was about a mile or more away from where she and Demetri stood, and the heart beat of a nearby grazing dear. She sighed as she looked back at him.

"I'm having a bit of a dilemma," She admitted.

"Yes?"

"I'm trying to decide what my best option is. I mean this could be a trap, couldn't it? Kind as you are, Demetri, I've only just met you."

"True," he said slowly and carefully.

"So how can I trust you, considering?" Addison asked, watching Demetri's expression carefully as it became thoughtful while he thought over what she had just pointed out.

"Well," he began, choosing his words carefully because he knew how curious Aro was about her gift, and how much he wished to meet Addison. "That's true, I suppose, and I guess that I can't really assure that this isn't a trap in a way that would make you certain that you could trust me. All I can really say is that it really isn't. My Master has heard tell of your gift, Addison, from Adriano and Katya and Nataliya. He values unique abilities, like yours and like mine-"

"Like yours?" Addison repeated, curious.

"I'm a tracker, Addison. I can identify people based on their minds, and I follow that."

"Oh," said Addison, "That explains how you found me, I guess…"

"Yes, and he puts these talents to good use in the Volturi Guard, where we work to protect the secrets of our supernatural world. He would never waste a talent like yours."

"A talent like mine…" Addison repeated slowly. "You say he heard of this from Adriano and Katya and Nataliya, didn't you?"

"Yes," said Demetri.

"How exactly did he get them to tell him that? I know they must have been angry with me for abandoning them. However, they new they Volturi well, much better then I do. They would have known if Aro would have, to use your words, 'valued a talent like mine' and I know they would never have revealed it, just to spite him. Because they would not have any reason to protect me, after my treachery during the battle."

"My master has a gift, too, Addison; he can read all the thoughts and memories of any person he touches. That's how he found out. Not to mention Felix and Santiago had some words to share on the subject, do you remember? Felix tried to stop you, and you made Santiago jump in his path, even though he was Felix's ally?"

"I only created an illusion. The illusion that this… Felix, did you call him?... was the newborn he was fighting. I didn't make the other turn on him, not really."

Demetri nodded, understanding. "Aro was very curious as to what it was that you did exactly, before he getting the full story from your… friends. Not that he holds you guilty, Addison. He knows you had no real part in the crime."

Addison nodded, understanding.

"I'm still not sure, though…" Addison said, glancing up at the grey, cloudy sky. She could feel tiny rain drops beginning to fall.

Demetri shrugged his shoulders. "Have a little faith," he suggested.

Addison grinned up at him. "That's what my mother always used to say in times of indecision. 'Have a little faith' was her motto."

Demetri smiled back at her, and held out his hand again.

"So? Will you join me?"

Addison thought for a moment, and then she placed her hand in his again. "I think I will."

And with that the two began their journey to Volterra, Italy, home of the Volturi.

A/N: In the next chapter or the chapter after that, I'll try to work in the Cullens. I'm not entirely certain as to how these chapters are going to work out, with Demetri and Addison that is. I'm not sure how long I want to concentrate on the actual journey, and I hope that my story does not completely suck. :D Thanks for reading.


	3. Chapter 3

**Have a Little Faith**

Chapter Three: The Strangers

A/N: I didn't mention this before, but the setting of this story is the April after the end of Breaking Dawn.

It was an overcast day, which was not unusual in the least. It was quiet in the woody area next to Charlie Swan's small, compact house. Though he was oblivious to it, two vampires had just passed through that area, exiting at the opposite edge. It had been but three and a half hours ago that the Volturi's tracker, Demetri, had come for Addison, who had arrived four and a half hours earlier than him, while Charlie was deep in sleep, lost to his own dreams, and ignorant to their threatening presence.

It was nearly noon, and Bella, Edward, their daughter, and Jacob were about to arrive for lunch at Charlie's home with him, Sue, Seth, and Leah. Sue was already there, in the kitchen cooking as Charlie assisted in anyway he could out of kindness rather then skill while Leah and Seth set the table. Soon enough, Edward's silver Volvo pulled up outside the house. Edward, Bella, Jake, and Renesmee got out of the car, laughing at something Jake had said. Bella helped Renesmee out, holding her little hand. Just as they were about to walk up to the house, they stiffened, catching the old scent of the vampires that had been through here.

"I'll be inside in a moment," Edward said, making his way over to the invisible trails beside Bella's father's house.

"I'm coming with you," Jake said, following after him as Bella and Nessie made their way up to the small house.

Bella knocked, watching Edward and Jake follow the trails into the woods. Charlie answered the door with a grin. He reached out to hug his only daughter and his adorable granddaughter.

"Edward and Jake will join us in just a moment," Bella said in answer to her father's questioning look. He nodded, and stood aside so that Bella and Nessie could make their way into the small house that smelled strongly and disgustingly of werewolf.

Edward and Jake followed the old trails through the woods. Sniffing, Edward broke off to follow the older of the two scents. Jake followed the newer of the two to stand at precisely the same exact position Demetri had stood at just hours before. They were silent, as they worked.

"The older scent I don't recognize," Edward said finally, breaking off a branch to take home to see if anyone, particularly Carlisle, the oldest of the Cullen family and their leader, found it familiar. "But the fresher of the two, I know."

"Me, too, but I can't place it exactly…" Jake said, following the trail into further through the woods. "Can you?"

"Oh, yes," Edward said, voice tight.

"And?"

"Demetri," Edward said simply and with a sort of disgusted edge as he pulled out his small silver phone.

"Demetri? The bloodsucker tracker?" Jake asked, and Edward nodded curtly. Edward spoke in a low, fast voice on the phone. While Edward spoke, Jacob followed the trails as they joined. He could almost see the two walking together, forming a bond, as they made their way through the woods, and to the edge where they had lingered under the safe cover of the overcast day. Eventually, Jake could tell, they had come to an agreement and sped off through the town, avoiding detection until now.

Jacob sighed, and followed the trail back into the woods as the raindrops began to fall from the sky.

***

"I didn't see that," Alice said, shocked at hearing the news Edward delivered to them after he, Bella, Jake, and Renesmee had returned. "I saw Aro sending Demetri to track down the girl, but I didn't see him sending him here."

"So it was just a coincidence?" Emmett said in disbelief.

"I think so…" Alice said slowly, thinking carefully. "I saw Aro send him to look for the Addison girl… he wanted to offer her a position in the Volturi Guard-"

Everyone in the room scowled involuntarily.

"-So I guess she wound up here somehow, and then Demetri followed her here while the rest of them headed back to Italy."

"I still don't understand why the ancients turned up there, too, if they didn't know about this Addison." Rosalie said, restarting a previous conversation the family had had some weeks ago.

"I still think that they thought _we_ would be there. Adriano is an old friend of Carlisle's, after all." Said Edward. He glanced absently out the window for any signs of Esme or Carlisle returning earlier then expected from their hunting trip to deal with this new dilemma.

"Maybe… Addison wound up here by accident while she was running." Jasper suggested.

"Wouldn't Alice have seen that?" Bella asked, Nessie sitting on her lap.

"Not if she never made a conscious decision to come here." Alice said.

"So we're supposed to believe that she wound up here by random chance?" Bella said, with her eyebrow arched in skepticism.

"I could never tell where she was headed," Alice pointed out, pondering the possibility of Jasper's suggestion. "She never had a fixed location in mind."

"That's just too much of a coincidence," said Bella, shaking her head.

"Why?"

"She wound up in Forks, of all the places in the world, by utter random chance?"

"Well, when you put it that way…" Emmett said, agreeing.

"It's possible, Bella. She started running northwest, and, maybe, she just never thought to change her course."

"Yes, but-"

At that moment, they all looked up in unison. In the distance, they could see Carlisle and Esme approaching them very quickly. Soon enough, the two had entered the door. Immediately, Edward explained the entire situation in a rush, and offered a branch to Carlisle.

"Do you recognize it?"

Carlisle sniffed, and nodded. "I only met Addison once, but I can be sure that this was definitely her."

"So what are we going to do about this?" Jacob asked, speaking up at last. Everyone watched Carlisle and his thoughtful expression carefully, waiting for his answer that was sure to be wise.

Carlisle shrugged. "Nothing," he said simply, "This is not our concern; it's the Volturi's. It would be our best option to not get involved in it."

***

Demetri and Addison were running. Their feet moved quickly alongside the highway, too fast to be seen by the passing cars that appeared to be racing backwards in comparison to their speed. They found their way off the exit and into a nearby city. The darkness was interrupted by the city's numerous lights that glowed from signs, shops, and streetlights. The pair of vampires slowed, and began to walk. After exchanging a glance, they separated. Addison moved quickly forward to alley; the less time they spent hunting, the sooner they could get to the Volterra. They were many, many miles away from Forks, Washington by now, though Addison was still ignorant and disinterested in where she had spent hours in trees, hiding and wondering whether her decision had been the best one possible.

She came to a stop, and closed her eyes. An instinct overtook her as she listened to traffic and far away footsteps. Smells filled her nostrils, and she welcomed them. The unpleasant odor of a nearby dumpster was revolting but she could also smell the scents of humans: couples in the restaurant a block away, and three people, approaching her…

"Hey, darling!" A drunken voice shouted stupidly from where Addison stood, rigid and motionless. His scent filled her, and a burning sensation began in the back of her throat…

"Not wise, you bein' ousside all by ya' self, thisslate…" Another voice called, so drunk his words were barely coherent. Another one laughed. Their scents were tainted heavily with another scent, alcohol, but it didn't matter. She could smell the blood that flushed their cheeks. The fire's pain mounted in Addison's throat, begging to be put out.

Finally, Addison began to move. Swiftly and gracefully, she ducked into the alleyway between two vacant buildings that had once been the home to successful businesses, but after that early success had ebbed, they had gone out of business and moved on to something new. Addison's ploy for better cover worked. They followed her, and their footsteps made echoes only Addison could here.

"Where ya' goin' so soon, baby?"

"Ya' juss makin' our job easier!" One said, laughing loudly. Addison smirked. Their arrogance amused her greatly; they had no clue what she was about to do…

Addison slipped into the shadows as the men approached her. It was time now. Their heartbeats rang loudly in her ears. The pumping blood, the call of it, the taste of it… her desire to attack was overwhelming, bearing down on her and threatening to crush her. Finally, she gave into the instinct. At that same moment, they suddenly stopped walking, and they became heavily disoriented as she attacked the first one, his friends were alarmed by his shocked yell that broke off almost instantly. However, they couldn't leave. Their eyes wouldn't work properly, and their feet refused to carry them out. Addison finished with the first one, and then she attacked the second. After that, she drank every last drop of the third man's blood…

She ripped up the concrete as if she were plucking blades of grass. She threw the men in, fixed the concrete back over their bodies, and placed the dumpster over top. She straightened to admire her own handy work. Then she turned, swiftly and quietly towards the end of the alley, her eyes renewed to their full color. She met Demetri down the street, and they exchanged a smile. Then, the two made their way down the street and broke into a run, resuming their course as if no event had taken place. As if no one had lost their lives to sustain them and to allow them to keep moving.

Above, the moon shrunk behind the veil of the clouds, as if in mourning for the people who had lost their lives to these creatures that prowled the night. Of the three, the moon would be the only one who cared.

A/N: Thank you for all your reviews, and encouragement. Next up I'll be writing about the last of the journey to Volterra; right up until their arrival. Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

**Have a Little Faith**

Chapter Four: Homebound

Ah, yes, the sunlight. It may not have the power to hurt Addison or Demetri, but it did bring about quite the complication when they were trying to get to the airport in New York. They had stopped to wait in a woodsy area just outside of the state as they waited for the daylight to subside. Addison prowled this small area with great interest; she'd always had a great love of climbing trees. In fact, there was a time when she was about ten years old that she climbed so high up a tree that her parents had to make a frantic call to the fire department in order to get her back down to the safety of the ground without her falling out of the tree upon her descent. Addison laughed internally at the memory as she leapt up onto a nearby tree, climbing up it easily so that she could stare down and observe the world below her. She closed her eyes, and breathed in the various scents of moss, the leaves, the grass, and the dirt. All of these scents mingled together. Addison couldn't help but love that smell.

Addison opened her eyes to see Demetri below her, smiling up in amusement.

"Were you a monkey in a past life?" He teased.

Addison stuck her tongue out at him, and then she smiled, leaning back. She heard him chuckle lightly below.

Addison leapt down from her branch to sit on one much lower, and closer to where Demetri was.

"Demetri?"

"Yes?"

"Who was the boy that Adriano attacked after Nataliya called for the newborns to attack?"

Demetri was clearly startled by this question, but he recovered quickly, and answered: "Alec."

Addison nodded and closed her eyes again. Then she asked, "What did he do to Adriano, to make him freeze up like that?"

"He used his gift on him."

"Which is...?" Addison inquired.

"Alec and his sister, Jane, are two of our most powerful members of the Volturi guard. Alec can cut off all sense and feeling from other people while Jane can make someone feel the most intolerable pain."

"Jane..." Addison met Demetri's gaze, "The little girl Katya and Nataliya went after?"

"That was Jane," Demetri confirmed.

"Huh," Addison said nodding, as she always did when she was thinking over new information.

Demetri glanced up at the sky. It was nearing sunset with every passing moment. The sunlight broke through their cover under the cluster of trees and branches, illuminating the diamonds of their flesh.

"What about you, Addison?" Demetri asked. Addison glanced down, confusion coloring her beautiful immortal face.

"What about me?"

"Well, how is that you came to wind up alongside Adriano and the others? If your heart was not into being their with them?"

Addison looked rather startled. She contemplated whether she really wanted to tell him this or not. She looked up at the sky, the trees...

"Didn't your master tell you?" She asked him after a while.

"No, he only mentioned some things..." Demetri trailed off.

"Ah," Addison said, hopping down from her branch to stand in front of him. She took a deep breath, and began to speak.

"I met Adriano one day at the cafe where I worked the nightshift. He'd seen me the other day... with an, uhm, someone I didn't really get along with too well... he realized what I could do, that I obviously had some sort of... ability... and he took interest," Addison paused, her eyes focused on the ground. "Of course I was easily charmed by him. I was really very shallow, and he was incredibly beautiful. More so then my boyfriend, at any rate.

"I could tell that he was different. He never told me his secret when I was still mortal, of course. But I could just tell that he was definitely not human. That he was something different, something more.

"Then, one night, he showed up. I was angry, I remember that, I had gotten messages from the friends I had started to ignore because I was always with my new boyfriend." Demetri noted Addison's involuntary scowl at the word. "And when I think back now, I wish I had listened. That I had spent more time with them, and that I had listened to their reasoning; that he gave them a bad feeling. At least, when Adriano and the Russian Twins were building up their army, I wished most desperatly that I had paid more attention to them, that I had been absolutely rapt with the attention I showered them with...

"I don't regret being immortal, of course," Addison said, finally meeting Demetri's eyes. "There are just so many things we can do that humans can't even dream of, you know? We're just so powerful, and free to go where ever we want. All we really have to do is keep the secret, right? The entire world is just... a playground, really. I don't have to worry about things like getting the Swine Flu, or developing cancer, or getting old, or taxes... I love what I am, and I love the freedom of having immortality. I just regret staying there, being apart of their plans. I mean, all those _children_... all their worried families that would never see them again, and what they got dragged into..." Addison sighed.

Demetri was gazing at her with an intense look that Addison couldn't quite decipher. She stared back at him for a few moments. Then, when it got too uncomfortable for her to continue to hold his gaze, she tilted her head back and gazed up at the fading light. The sun was just about to disappear under the horizon's edge, and the two immortals watched the brilliant array of colors that illuminated the sky. They watched as the sun sunk away, as the light began to fade away.

"I think you'll like Volterra," Demetri said quietly, breaking the silence. Addison met his eyes. "We have forests and rivers... It's truly a beautiful place."

Addison grinned back at him, as they began to walk away from their woodsy shelter under the canopy of trees, branches, and leaves. "Forests, eh? That certainly sounds like my most ideal home already..."

.oOo.

It was still nightfall when they reached the airport. Addison wasn't quite certain as to how Demetri got his hands on the money to buy two first class plane tickets, or whether the Volturi just handed over credit cards to their employees, but somehow Demetri was able to aquire the two first class tickets for their flight to Florence. Upon arriving there, they planned on running the rest of the way to Volterra.

Alice gasped as the vision flashed across her eyes: Demetri and Addison sitting calmly, waiting for their plane. Addison sat with her legs crossed, flipping through a fashion magazine idley, her expression bored, and her first class ticket to Florence in her hand. Demetri's eyes wandered, taking in curious gazes of those sitting around him. Every once in a while his gaze would flicker to Addison's face, and away...

"What, Alice?" Nessie asked. The Cullens were packing now, preparing to leave Forks at long last. Alice steadied herself as the others, minus Edward and Emmett who were currently hunting, entered the room. Nervous expressions met Alice's face.

"It's nothing, really," she assured them, "They're waiting at the airport, and they're about to board a flight to Florence."

Her family relaxed visibly as Jasper made his way towards her, to hold her hand.

"Everything's fine."

.oOo.

Finally, the flight attendant announced that they were beginning their descent. Addison's head rested against the window as she watched the ground below them that appeared to rise up to meet them. She sat up straight in her seat as the plane hit the ground, jostling them all as it sped to a stop. The two immortals rose when it was announced that the first class passengers could exit the plane and "Have a great day".

They made their way off the plane, and into the airport in Florence. They walked through the building in silence, passing many people. All of whom seemed to be rushing, needing to be somewhere important. When they were outside, they traveled down the street, and when it was safe to do so, they started to run. Objects and buildings flew past them as morning approached steadily. They ran through the cover of trees, and alongside highways. It didn't take them too long to reach their final destination. When they did, Demetri reached out to stop Addison. He smiled down at her, and said,

"Welcome to Volterra."

A/N: I would like to thank you for taking the time to read this. Thank you for your kind reviews; your support means so much. Do review again, would you? Constructive criticism is always appreciated here!


	5. Chapter 5

**Have a Little Faith**

Chapter Five: Volterra & The Volturi

Demetri took Addison's hand, and led her quickly through the remaining shadows into the city. He manoeuvered his way through the city deftly, and with mounting excite. Addison took in her surrounding, and the beauty of this city in which she would, apparently, be offered a home. Her eyes fell upon all that they could see as Demetri pulled her along. They flew quickly across the Main Plaza under the safety of the shadows as the sun breached the horizon upon it's rise back into the sky. He led her through to a dead end alley, clutching her hand all the while as she gazed upon the ancient city with rapt attention. Finally, they reached the end of the alley, where there was a small grate. Demetri reached down, and moved the grate aside. He glanced down it, and then he turned to Addison, smiling.

"Ladies first," he said, gesturing to the hole. Addison hesitated momentarily, and then she hopped down with fluid grace. Not a moment later, Demetri joined her. He reached up to close the heavy grate back over the hole they had entered through. Then he placed his hand between her shoulder blades and guided her forward gently. The stone surface was uneven, and very wide. There was barely any light, but the two could see perfectly. They moved through the long, damp, subterranean tunnel quickly. It slanted downward, leading them further underneath the city. Finally they reached another grate with rusting iron bars. Demetri unlocked it quickly, and when they were through, he relocked it just as fast. They went through a door made of thinner interlaced bars. They ducked through and hurried on to a larger, brighter stone room. Addison took in the scenery with great interest as Demetri led her to a low, heavy, thick wooden door. He opened it casually, and gestured for her to enter first.

Addison stepped into the brightly lit, unremarkable hallway. She took in the off-white walls, the gray carpeted floor. There were common rectangular fluorescent lights that were spaced evenly along the ceiling. It was warmer in this room then in the tunnel, Addison noted as she observed this new room while Demetri closed the door behind them. He continued to guide her down the long hallway. Soon they arrived at an elevator that took them on a short ride further beneath the city. When they stepped off, Addison observed the new room, which resembled a posh office reception area. The carpet was thick, and a deep green. The walls were a paneled wood. Large, brightly lit paintings of the Tuscan countryside hung on the walls, serving as replacements for the lack of windows. Pale leather couches were arranged in cozy groupings, and there were glossy tables which held crystal vases full of vibrantly colored bouquets. In the middle of the room was a high, polished mahogany counter with a woman standing behind it. It only took one quick glance and an even quicker sniff of the air for Addison to realize that this was not a vampire, but a human.

"Welcome home, Demetri," the human woman said warmly.

"It's good to be back," he replied with a smile. Demetri glanced down at Addison's bemused expression, and introduced the two.

"Addison, Gianna; Gianna, Addison," he gestured in introduction.

"Welcome, Addison," Gianna said with a kind smile.

"Nice to meet you," Addison murmured in response, still bemused, but she kept her face impassive.

He led Addison through a set of double doors in the back of the room. From there, he led her down yet another wide, ornate hallway and the two entered a room through doors at the end of the hallway that were sheathed entirely in gold. He opened one of the doors, gesturing once more for Addison to enter before him.

"Ah, Demetri, you've returned at last!" Came a voice that sounded like a weary sigh. Addison took in this... throneroom... in her numbered seconds of invisibility.

"Yes, Master," he said, leading Addison up to where Aro sat with two other ancients. One wore a bored, half-dead expression, and the other's face was impassive, as was Addison's.

"And Addison! How wonderful!" The ancient vampire cried. He held out his hand eagerly. Addison considered it, her face betraying none of the confusion nor wariness she felt, and then she moved forward swiftly to grip Aro's hand. He leaned over their hands in concentration, while Addison stood rigidly, her eyes never leaving Aro. Finally, Aro straightened and released her hand.

"What a joy it is to meet someone with such a powerful talent!"

"Thank you, sir, but I can assure you the joy is mine." She said quietly, resorting to her standard level of modesty, respect, and charm; as she always did in times of uncertainty.

"You're too sweet," Aro said in his sugary voice. Addison smiled an easy smile.

"Demetri's told you why I requested your presence, I see." It wasn't a question, so Addison just nodded.

"Will you join us?" Aro asked with an excited air.

With these words, Addison felt a strange pull in her being. Suddenly, there was an overwhelming need within her to join the Volturi. To serve them. To want to please them... The feeling was slightly familiar. It was strangely remniscent of the one she'd felt when she'd abbandoned Adriano and the Russian Twins.

With that thought, she sighed internally. Addison glanced once at the floor, once at Demetri, and then back at Aro. Then, she gave the response that would change the course of her entire existence, just as Alice saw Addison's response flash before her eyes in a passing vision.

.oOo.

Addison sat in a tree high above the ground. Her eyes wondered along the rolling hills, and the grazing animals. She leaned back, closing her eyes as she breathed in the scent of grass, tree sap, moss, and water in a river far away. Floral scents became a part of this mixture with a passing breeze. Addison's leg dangled over the edge as she stared at the ground far bellow her. _Home,_ she thought to herself. _This is home._

It was a strange thing to get used to; having a home. Especially since the last time she'd had one, she'd been 16, with her 17th birthday drawing closer with each second that ticked by. Sixteen and a half years had passed since then, and she still regretted it each time she thought about it; being changed before her body and mind reached the height of her maturity. She'd been close to that point, but not quite there yet.

_What would Adriano say?_ Her thoughts sighed.

This question had popped up a thousand times since she'd made her desicion. Addison knew the answer of course. She'd known Adriano and his half-crazed, obsessive nature. She'd known his hatred of the Volturi well, and how it had almost gotten her killed. Addison shook her head, trying to free herself from these binding truths that brought about a sudden sharp pain in her chest.

She'd loved Adriano. Sure he had been absolutely mad, and sure he'd only changed her for her gift, and his own gain. However, without him, she'd never have known this life. She'd never have known immortality, and the true wonders around her because, as a human, she'd hadn't been able to see clearly. Not to mention he was gone now; she couldn't hate a dead man, despite his failures. Of course, she'd never been entirely devoted to him. That's why Chelsea was able to sever her bond to him. _Perhaps it was simply never meant to be,_ Addison mused internally. Except, if her and Adriano were never meant to be, then who was she meant to be with? There had to be someone...

Maybe she just hadn't found him yet. Maybe he was a human, not yet born nor thought of. Or maybe he was simply awaiting her arrival in his life without being aware of this. Perhaps she would change him, and they would spend eternity together...

Just then, Addison heard a rustling below her. She glanced over the edge of her branch to see Demetri below her, scanning the towering treetops for her.

_Or perhaps... Just maybe... I have already met him._ She thought serenely, grinning up at the sky and the birds flying above her head and out of reach before she leapt down to see the beautiful immortal below her feet.

"Yes?" She asked calmly upon her arrival on a lower branch.

"Nothing," he said with a smile. "Just thought you might like some company."

Addison tilted her head to the side, and then her face lit up in a dazzling grin in response to his own.

"You thought right," she said quietly, hopping down from where she sat, and taking his outstreched hand without a second thought.


	6. Chapter 6

**Have A Little Faith**

Chapter Six: Thick as Thieves

The city of Volterra was beautiful. There was no question of that. It was especially beautiful under the bright morning sun that filled the sky and lit up the Main Plaza, the forests, the rivers, and every other geographical and man made sight that the Volturi's headquarters had to offer.

It had been a week since Addison had joined their mission officially. She had come to find that life here was, well... rather _dull_. However, this did leave her with a lot of free time. She was able to do what she pleased the majority of the time. Most of the time, she kept to herself. She sat in the trees and stared at life below her. Sometimes she brought her sketchbook (she had been particualarly artistic in her human years and, in light of the freedom here, she was inspired to take up this hobby once more), and other times she'd bring along a novel.

She'd met the entire guard. Felix was a generally carefree vampire, and he was able to laugh off nearly killing her or how she had made Santiago dive at him and nearly injure him like it was no big thing, and like this sort of thing happened all the time, like some trite occupational hazzard. To be perfectly honest, he sort of frightened her. Despite the fact that Jane was a beautiful child in appearance, she was pretty creepy, too, when she thought on it, especially with what she could do to her victims. Alec was the friendlier of the twins, definetely. Much more likable. Addison kept her distance from him especially, however, because of the incident with Adriano.

It was difficult; trying to decipher her feelings. She couldn't deny her growing attraction to Demetri, but at the end of the day, she had loved Adriano, no matter how weak their bond proved to be in the end. Adriano would despise her, anyway, if he were still alive. Even if she didn't become ever closer to Demetri, she was a part of the Volturi Guard now, and Adriano's hatrid of them would include her too, she was certain.

She didn't spend all of her time alone, despite the fact that she avoided the others. Demetri always came to find her at some point. At night, they'd race along the rivers together like they had upon their journey across America just to arrive here. They remained unseen and unheard by Volterra's citizens as they ran, practiced fighting, or climbed the trees. They were just two seperate worlds that happened to cross at the same place, but at different times of the day.

Addison enjoyed being out in the sunlight, too, though she couldn't risk wandering out of the shadows because that would lead to her exposure to the oblivious humans here. Sometimes, though, when she sat in a tree, far above the ground, a ray of light would fall upon her flesh. The feel of it, as her skin lit up and sparkled dazzlingly, was nice and comforting. Like a hug when you just broke up with your boyfriend, or when someone makes you laugh on after a terrible day in which you just wanted to go home and curl up in a little ball and cry yourself to sleep. She couldn't linger with her skin exposed, but sometimes she wanted to just sit there and drink in that feeling that it gave her, not only on the outside but within her heart, that had not showed any sign of life, not one stutter of a beat, in over sixteen years.

Addison sighed, turning her head to gaze at the bird who was just now flying home to her young babies.

Volterra was a relatively friendly place, that was undeniable. It was so easy to call it home. It was inviting, it was beautiful and alluring. Through the eyes of a vampire, with their sharpened senses, it was that and more so.

Somehow, though, there was a strange feeling around here. This feeling that whispered about things unseen to even Addison, who was a part of this world. Oh, there was something off here. She could feel that, but she paid it no mind. Aro was kind. He wanted peace for all vampires.

But still... somehow, she felt there was something else here with her, brewing under the surface...

Addison shook her head to clear these thoughts from her mind.

_Impossible,_ she thought to herself.

Then she turned her head back to her sketchbook and resumed her work.

.oOo.

It was not yet nightfall when Addison abbandoned her sanctuary amongst the trees and made her way, in the shelter of the surrounding shadows, back to the Main Plaza. She ran in silence through the thicket. When she arrived, she slipped through the throngs of tourists, but not as many as there would have been on a holiday, never once leaving her place in the shadows, pulling the cloak around her, and as she did so, it resembled something like a gateway to invisibility. She went unnoticed through the Main Plaza. She made her way to the tunnel, only to be stopped by a familiar someone reaching out his arm to grab her.

"Addison," Demetri said in greeting.

"Demetri," she replied.

"I was just coming to look for you."

Addison smiled up at him as the two made their way into the Volturi's secret walls beneath their beloved city.

"Demetri, Addison!" Aro called in greeting, waving the two forward eagerly.

They moved towards him swiftly and quietly in their dark cloaks that swept to the floor.

The Volturi and its entire Guard, minus Heidi, stood waiting in the stone antechamber. Not long after Addison had come to this room, she heard voices. Stepping off the elevator and now entering the wide, ornate hallway and moving towards this room. She heard their loud footsteps, she could smell them through the open door. But mostly, she listened. Their loud heartbeats ringing in her ears, and the blood that pumped through their veins. They were so vital, so warm, and so impossibly meek in comparison to these immortals; with their great strength and inhuman quickness, even if they were famished...

"Welcome guests!" Aro called out to them. "Welcome to Volterra!"

Those words of warmth and welcome and the resounding echo of Heidi shutting the heavy door behind them with such finality was to be just about the last thing they would ever hear. Upon them were powerful immortals and their death sentence. They would never again hear laughter, never smell the Earth's many gifts of flowers nor trees. They would never taste the refreshment that water gave them, nor the sweetness of wine. They were never going to feel a lover's gentle touch in the early hours of the morning, for this was their last day, and their very last heartbeat, and their very last breath was drawing down to numbers that they could count on their hands...

The Volturi snatched up these humans, who had now started screaming upon the realization of their impending, unalterable doom, and began to feed, ignoring their victim's pleas for life. Addison fed, but there was something new inside of her as she listened to these cries, felt their fear and longing to see just one more day. What was this feeling at the pit of her stomach? What was this powerful emotion that tugged on her heart, long neglected, as she drank from this warm source of life.

When she was done, she stepped back, her thoughts and emotions befuddled, trying to make sense of what she was feeling just now, while another pull brought out her loyalty to the Volturi once more...

Addison glanced up to see all the humans dead before her. The empty vessels were being tossed into a fire where they would be reduced to meer ash, forgotten now. The ancients were making their way back to the throne room, with the guard following after them, Addison among them as she watched the innocent bodies of the people who had served to sustain them. Some of the guard stayed with the ancients. Others, like Jane or Alec or Addison, were heading off in their own direction. Jane and Alec led the way to the elevator, just as Demetri caught up with them. He smiled at her, his hand on her back, as the elevator carried them to the hallway that led to the Guard's rooms, and then they were taken upwards to where Addison and Demetri were headed, though Demetri was simply headed in whatever direction Addison was going.

Upon reaching the surface, the two walked at leisure through the vacant Main Plaza, as night had fallen while they fed, and ran through the night to go stand beside the river where no houses nor humans were near. The same place Demetri had been teaching Addison how to improve her fighting skills past instinct and the basics she had learned from Adriano and the Russian Twins, just in case.

But tonight they didn't practice, they just walked alongside the river for a while, until Demetri turned in front of her.

"Something's bothering you," he said simply.

Addison didn't deny it, she just sighed.

"I suppose there is something..." She said, but she shook her head before she could tell Demetri of the... remorse she felt. She just wasn't used to people screaming, that was it. Usually she cast an illusion upon her victims so that they're eyes and minds went out of focus as they stumbled along an alley until she got around to stealing their life essence to keep herself pain free. Or could it be that usually her victims weren't innocent; not at all. They were gangs of drunken men who followed her into dark alleys or muggers that were hoping she had more then just spare change in her pockets or sometimes they were suicidal, and they really didn't want to live any longer, anyway, so that she could console her entire being with the thought that she was doing them a favor in ending their days because she was also ending their suffering.

"But it doesn't matter," Addison said.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, quite," she said quietly, glancing down at her feet, then over at the river, and then back to Demetri as he leaned down towards her.

"Good," he said softly, just as his lips met hers.

**A/N:** Sorry this chapter is a tad bit shorter then the others; I just liked this ending for the chapter so I decided to stop here for the day. And sorry if this takes a while to get up. As of right now, Fan Fiction won't let me upload it and I've tried a couple of times, so hopefully I'll get it up tomorrow (as in Saturday, the 5th). But, that might not work out either. :(.

Anywho, thank you for all of you who have read this story and thanks to you who have... erm... subscribed? And thanks for those who have reviewed. I really appreciate it. :)


	7. Chapter 7

**Have A Little Faith**

Chapter Seven: The Sentence

*Six Months Later*

It was a calm, quiet evening following a day of rainfall. The people of Volterra were settling in for a calm night's sleep as the vampires wandered about at leisure, safe from exposure under the moon's ivory glow. At that moment, there was a sudden rushing breeze stirred. Its cause was seemingly unknown, as it continued through the city, disturbing the still of the air but not the peace that had taken hold of the city's inhabitants upon the sun's exit.

Demetri and Addiso ran quickly, gracefully, and quietly from the Volturi's hidden underground tunnels, through the Main Plaza, and to their usual hide out underneath the trees by the river. The trees and other plants that grew around this segment of the lake were so thick and inhibiting that Addison wondered if anyone else had ever found this secluded space that she found shelter in underneath the stars. Addison found herself looking upwards, a common thing for her, gazing at the sky above them to stare at the millions of stars that dotted her sharp, clear view with their bright twinkling.

At that moment, Demetri wound his arms around her waist and spun her around. Addison laughed, and when he let her down she turned to face him, and she wrapped her arms around his marble neck as he leaned down to rest his smooth forehead against her's, the soft expression and the serene smile lingering on his glorious immortal face. Ah, to be able to witness this side of his character when the Cullens believed him so cold...

They moved in time with inaudible music that vampires and humans alike were deaf to. They were the only exception as they twirled about in this hidden area where the water rushed beside them and the moon and the stars above them lit everything up.

And they needed no words as they did so. Because in the calm of the night surrounded by all sorts of geographical shelter, they were free to be anything at all.

.oOo.

In the Cullens' new large, impressive mansion, all was normal. The sun's light was fading from the sky as the sun began to emerge in Volterra, Italy. It was peaceful around here, though not quite as calm as it had been during the evening within Volterra's borders. The birds were singing shrilly, yet beautifully, into the open windows of their home. Even the birds that sang from a good long distance away rang clear as a bell in the ears of the vampires inside this elegant home.

Here, Emmett and Rosalie were sitting on the couch together, watching some horror flick and laughing at how stupid it all was and how funny it seemed to them that humans found this sort of thing absolutely terrifying. Edward and Bella were conversing with Jake and Nessie, just before Jacob and Nessie were preparing to go to end the day with a good night's rest. Alice was dancing about the room before she would make her way upstairs to her bedroom. Carlisle and Esme sat on a couch on the other side of the room, deep in discussion, while Jasper flipped through a book he was reading on an armchair by a window.

Suddenly, Alice froze. Her expression was absolutely vacant. Her eyes stared off blankly and at nothing in particular. Edward tensed immediately, his eyes focused on the back of Alice's head as Jasper rushed to Alice's side, hands on her shoulders, his expression frantic as he watched her.

"Not again..." she groaned.

By now, everyone was watching her.

"Oh, God," Edward said quietly.

"Alice? What is it?"

"It's the Volturi..."

"What?" Carlisle said. "No! We haven't done anything!"

"It's the werewolves," Edward said, glancing at Jake, who growled.

"Apparently, the vampire coven that went through La Push wasn't completely destroyed. The boy got away and he's gone to the Volturi to make a complaint, request vengeance for his fallen friends. The Volturi has decided to grant his request. All werewolves- or rather, shapeshifters- are to be killed as punishment for the crime."

"What?!" Jacob exclaimed, "But they-"

"They're calling it 'unjustified slaughter' and-"

"'A danger to all vampires, and our world must therefore be purged of them for the safety of our kind.'" Alice finished quietly, leaning against Jasper.

Everyone in the house was speechless as they processed this horrid new information.

.oOo.

Addison and Demetri had just heard the order. When the boy, Lawson, had come forward with this information of what had happened to the rest of his coven, the Volturi immediately made the decision to annihilate these shapeshifters. Upon Lawson's official complaint, the desicion was made that these creatures were a danger to all vampires. Therefore, they would all have to be sentenced to death for the unjustified slaughter of Lawson's friends, Elwood and Norma.

"These shapeshifters are a danger to all vampires," Caius said when the ancients deliberated.

"Our world must therefore be purged of them for the safety of our kind." Aro agreed.

And so it was that the Volturi were going to make a trip west once more.

.oOo.

_Sam!_ Jacob shouted with his thoughts as soon as he had made it to La Push in wolf form and upon hearing the thoughts of another wolf, present in the area and within the depths of his mind.

_Hey, Jake. What's the emergency?_

_It's bad, Sam, it's really bad._ Jacob said, and the official sentence from the Volturi flashed through his mind as he went over all the things that had just happened. What Alice had just seen the Volturi decide.

_Hey, guys, what's-_ Seth's thoughts were cut off as he, too, heard the news.

_But they can't!_ Seth's thoughts spluttered. _We were just protecting our land!_

_That's not how they see it, kid,_ Jacob thought heavily.

_How they see what?_ Embry's thoughts asked.

_Yeah, what's going on?_ Quil thought as he, too, joined them.

_The Volturi's coming again. Except this time, it's for us. We've been sentenced to death for-_ Jake flipped through the reasons in his thoughts.

_But we were just protecting our land! The filthy bloodsuckers were on our territory! They hunted here!_ Quil thought indignantly.

_That's what I said,_ Seth thought.

_They don't care,_ Jake thought in reply to his pack's indignity, _they're doing it for 'the safety of their kind'._

Sam remained silent as he communicated with his pack.

Seth, Quil, and Embry growled in unison.

_So what are we going to do? _Sam asked Jacob.

_What can we do?_ Jake asked. _All we can do is fight, and hope for the best._

There was a silence amongst all of them as the weight of their sentence and impending fate pressed down on them, smothering them, and threatening to take their lives before the Volturi even started leaving their sacred, and beloved home, Volterra.

**AN:** Thanks for reading, and thank you for all your reviews and support. I appreciate it. There's a specific direction that I'm taking the story in, so that it involves more then Addison and Demetri, but in the end it will come down their fate. I hope you enjoy it!

Also, I'm sorry this chapter has taken a while. I meant to have it up days ago but I just started up school again, and I don't seem to have time for anything and it's only the second day back. So please be patient with me as I try my very best to keep consistent. Thanks!


	8. Chapter 8

**Have A Little Faith**

Chapter Eight: The Alternative

Addison paced her study forward and back, forward and back. She moved so quickly she was almost invisible. Her expression was pained as she paced, thinking, thinking carefully.

She didn't want to fight.

She was with the Volturi.

She wanted peace.

The Volturi was trying to bring peace.

She didn't want to fight.

She had her duty to the Volturi.

She wanted to run away from all of this.

She couldn't abbandon the Volturi. She belonged to them. And...

Demetri.

Addison sighed, and stopped pacing as the familiar end to her internal argument fell upon her. She could not bring herself to leave Demetri behind when there was going to be a fight, she couldn't do it. She could barely stand to think of it. Was this love? She wasn't entirely certain, even after all this time.

Addison sighed, and sat down on the couch.

Demetri, Demetri, Demetri...

She felt more strongly about him then Adriano, that was true. If she had to choose between them, she'd choose Demetri every time even if her choice defied all reason or logic. She wanted to be here with him, despite her conflicted feelings about her masters. About her lifestyle.

Addison groaned as she thought of it, and she rested her head in her hands. Every time she fed here, it got worse. The feeling of remorse, the feeling that screamed at her that what she was doing was awful. Inhumane. Wrong. It was still unfamiliar, and she couldn't fathom the reason as to why that she was starting to feel remorse _now_. Seventeen years of being a vampire, of this diet, and her emotions ran wild with regret now.

Demetri had noticed this, of course. After they fed and wandered off to do other things, he could see it in her eyes. The pain within her. He could see, though not clearly, that it all troubled her. That a sort of... depression... was settling inside of her mind and heart.

"What's wrong, Addison?" He'd asked as they sat in her study.

"Nothing," she'd responded, the same response she'd used everytime he'd asked.

"There's something bothering you."

"...Perhaps," she'd allowed.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

But what would talking solve? How would that help her find peace within herself?

"No, not really," she'd said, closing her eyes as she rested against his shoulder.

"Tell me if you do."

And that was that.

Addison laid out on the couch, her hands over her eyes. She breathed deeply as she considered her options.

She could leave, but she'd be leaving Demetri. He'd been with the Volturi for centuries, and he'd known her for less then a year. Maybe he did love her, just maybe. But she couldn't rely on that. She was too uncertain about the strength of his bond to her, so she couldn't rely on him following her.

She could stay, and be quiet about her feelings. However, these feelings that brewed inside of her with a life of their own would not fade away, and she couldn't get them to stop. She didn't know enough about being a vampire to find an alternative lifestyle. Like... like...

Like the Cullens had.

Addison sat up suddenly as she thought of it. Maybe she, too, could stop drinking the blood of humans. Maybe she could find an alternative. Perhaps she'd be able to stay with the Volturi, at peace with herself and Demetri if she could survive without taking lives.

But how did they do it?

Addison's shoulders slumped, and she frowned as she concentrated. All she knew was that the Cullens didn't feed off of humans. But how did they survive without doing it? What was the alternative? Was there something that could stop her from drinking blood altogether?

She didn't know.

But she knew who did.

.oOo.

Demetri found himself with less free time on his hand then he had over his centuries with the Volturi and living here in Volterra. Now that Addison had arrived, there was a sort of pull within the core of his being in whatever direction she was standing at the moment. He was always turning up in her study or in the shelter of the forest to sit beside her while she sketched trees and flowers and animals and many other beautiful things Volterra had to offer its citizens and tourists alike. When he watched her sketch, completely absorbed in her work, he felt like there was so much he had missed in Volterra. There was so much that he had missed. Things that, even with a picture's allotted thousand words, they could not possibly suffice what he saw in Addison's artwork; her masterpieces. It was so mesmerizing, Addison's creations.

Addison herself was an incredible being. The little things about her that made him feel like all his centuries were worthless in comparison to the months he had spent around her, talking to her, laughing with her...

He looked up as a light knock sounded against his door. He sniffed the air, Addison's scent filling his nostrils as he did so. He rose and opened the door, grinning down at the beautiful immortal who was smiling up at him, too.

"Hope I'm not interrupting," Addison said, as Demetri gestured for her to enter.

"Anything I was doing before is unimportant," he said airily, sitting next to her on the small sofa. She sat comfortably, and cross-legged, facing Demetri. Though she was still smiling up at him, the look in her eye had changed. It was the look she got nearly everytime she wanted to ask something, but wasn't positive on how to proceed, or whether or not it was all right to ask. Demetri just watched her patiently until she opened her mouth and began.

"I know that what I'm going to ask is strange, but I'd really like to know the answer." She began carefully.

"Okay," Demetri said, waiting.

Addison bit her lower lip, and then she said, "You told me that the Cullens are different then most vampires, do you remember?"

Demetri blinked, surprised at this question.

"Yes..." He said slowly.

"You said that they have a... different diet-"

"An unpreferable one," Demetri cut in, wincing involuntarily at the thought of it.

Addison bit her lower lip, dettered for the moment.

Then, after a few moments silence, she began again with more hesitation then before. "What is it that they do, though? How do they live without drinking humans' blood and killing them? How is something like that possible?"

"Well..." He began, and then he paused for a few moments. "They found an alternative. We don't need _human_ blood specifically, Addison. It's the best out of all the options we have for a diet, but it isn't completely necessary."

"But how? What is their alternative diet?" She asked him eagerly.

"Animals," He replied, his expression wary as he watched her carefully.

"Animals," She repeated. This was not the answer she had anticipated.

"There's much sacrifice involved, of course. Our natural food source is humans, you know. We are meant to feed off of them. However, there are... other choices. Animal blood will keep you going, sure, but it isn't pleasant. The taste doesn't hold a candle to that of a human's and it weakens the vampire who involves him- or herself in that life. Possible, but not the lifestyle I'd want, personally."

Addison was silent, thinking carefully as she formed a plan... a plan to end the suffering of her human victims and her own heartache...

A/N: Sorry this is all going slow. I'm drowning in homework these days, but hopefully the burden will ease up when I learn to manage my time better. Exhausting, it is. Anywho, thanks for reading. Please review!


	9. Chapter 9

**Have A Little Faith**

Chapter Nine

A/N: I don't own anything, as always. Thanks for reading, and please review. Sorry for the wait!

Addison was running through the trees at a break neck pace. She was running so fast, she was practically invisible. Her life was as good as over, and she had nothing left to live for except running away from them and towards her last chance for survival. She didn't know anything. Not anymore. Every little life lesson, and fact had disappeared from her mind. All but one truth, one thing left that she knew for certain. She knew that she needed to keep running, that she could not stop, no matter what.

She could hear footsteps racing towards her from behind. These footsteps were familiar to her. She would have known them anywhere. At one time, she would have stopped and waited for him to come to her. The urge was still there inside of her, crying out to her, begging her to stop and wait for him. She wanted to, but she knew better. Now, if she stopped, he wouldn't hug her or have a warm smile for her. He'd kill her.

In the distance, Addison heard Demetri's voice yelling for her to stop.

She ran faster into the night.

*One Week Earlier*

Addison stood amongst the rest of the guard in Volterra, Italy. At her right was Jane and Alec. On her left was Corin. They all stood, listening carefully to Aro's heartfelt words of why their mission was so important. Why there was nothing that more important then what they were about to do, as sad and regrettable as it was.

The Guard listened with synchronized obedience. They hung off their master's every word. Addison felt guilty in their prescence, around all of these immortals who would obey the law, and were so committed to their job that they'd die for it. They thought she was one of them, but they had been decieved. She wasn't, not anymore, not with this burden that she carried with her.

She had been keeping her distance from Aro. One touch was all that it would take. One touch, and he'd have her killed on the spot. No question. No doubt. Just the simplicity of her fate; her decisions, intended actions, and her resolutions. She couldn't let any of them know what she was planning. Not even Demetri.

_"I know what you're thinking, Addison," He'd said to her, just last night._

_"And what's that?"_

_"You feel guilty, don't you? About killing people?"_

_Addison had remained silent._

_"It's in our nature, Addison, you needn't feel bad about it. They're simply our natural prey and we're the hunters."_

That doesn't make it right,_ Addison had thought, but she said nothing. She would admit nothing to him, though she was closer to him then she'd ever been to anyone else in her entire vampire life and her human life combined, times two._

_"You can talk to me, you know."_

But she couldn't, not really. He was more loyal to the Volturi then he was to her, and she understood that. It saddened her, obviously, but what could she do? She could live her half-life here, with Aro having sole ownership over her soul, or she could break free from this curse of sadness and regret. Her compassion had won over in the end. How strange that this moment had waited so long to come. She'd been so soulless in her human years...

She looked up, and the followed the Guard out of their secret chambers and onto La Push, Washington.

**La Push, Washington**

"They're coming," Alice announced to the vampires and werewolves. "They just left Volterra."

No one spoke. There was a sort of chill in the room, despite the fact that no one could feel it. It was a chill within their bones.

"How long do we have?" Sam asked finally.

"A week or less," she said, her voice half-dead with misery.

"That's all we have?" Paul said, feeble anger in his voice.

"That's all we have," Alice repeated hopelessly.

Carlisle moved, he went to sit by the window, his misery deeper then anyone else's. No one in this world hated violence, especially unnecessary violence, more then Carlisle did.

Esme moved, following Carlisle. On that not, everyone started to converse quietly with one another, their voices ranging from hopeless to desperate.

Edward and Bella moved towards where Alice sat, resting her head on Jasper's shoulder.

"So this is it." Bella said, her voice quiet, and hopeless.

"That's what it appears to be."

"If only we had more time..."

"But what would we do with it? Time won't bring us anymore answers and resources then we have at this moment, you realize."

"I know. I just wish-"

"We all do, Bella, trust me. We all wish things were different, that this was not necessary."

"I can't believe the Volturi will just get away with this, though."

"It's dreadful," Alice agreed.

"It's so hard to believe..." Bella trailed off.

"That our breaths are numbered?" Jasper spoke quietly.

Bella nodded, and Edward hugged her.

"There's just nothing we can do from here. We just have to rely on some indistinct fates and decisions. All that's clear is that they intend to fight."

"All of them?"

Alice smiled slightly. She knew what Bella was asking.

"And Addison?" Edward asked her quietly.

"I think we can rely on her."

"It won't be enough." Bella said tonelessly.

"It might be enough to tip the scale in our favor. She underestimates her own worth constantly, but I think there's hope." Alice said.

"She means that much to Aro?" Rosalie asked, as she and Emmett joined the conversation.

"I'm not sure. But she means much more to Demetri than she realizes."

"So when she turns up on our side..."

"He won't be happy, but he's not about to see her killed. Not while he lives."

"He'll follow her?" Jasper asked, his voice a bit hopeful.

"Maybe," Alice said, "I'm not sure. He won't attack her though, and he won't let anyone else do that either. I'm sure of that."

"It all seems so unlikely..." Bella said, the voice of pessimism.

"Have a little faith," Alice suggested. "Let that carry you through."


	10. Chapter 10

**Have A Little Faith**

Chapter Ten: Faith at its Fullest

**A/N:** The usual checklist: I don't own the Twilight Series, I acknowledge that this may be a "breach" in the law, I do not earn profit from this, so there is no justified legal penalty I can suffer...

Also, thank you to all those who have reviewed, I ask that you might once more, and thank you so much to all of you who have added Have A Little Faith to your favorite stories and story alert lists. That means so much to me, you have no clue. I would have stopped after chapter two without you. Or three. Or four. You get the picture, I'm sure. Anywho... sorry for the length of time it has been taking me to get these chapters out. I've was having a hard time writing three entire pages for my Lit Analysis, but I triumphed in the end (*Insert _Hooray!_ here*). Well, now that all that rambling is out there, here's chapter 10!

**Cullen House in Forks, Washington**

Bella looked around the room. Her eyes registering every little detail of this house that had once been so intimidating, in and of itself, and now served a place in her heart as her home. She absorbed the perfection of it all: every little detail was vital. Each one was a necessity; she couldn't ever forget the beauty, the welcoming arms of this place. She brushed her fingers across the smooth, polished coffee table, the fabric of the couch, the petals of the lilies in one of the vases. It was all so precious to her. If she could still cry, she would have. All of this was so frightening to her, but she also felt maddened with fury at the Volturi's cruelty. The injustice made her want to scream.

Bella exitted the house through the back door. She tilted her head back, gazing up at the brilliant ivy moon, and the stars that winked all around it. The view was sharp and clear through Bella's eyes, not a cloud in sight. It was a beautiful night.

The perfect night to die.

But the Volturi weren't here. Not yet. But as soon as they arrived, the fierce Guard would see to her death and the death of her family and kin.

"Bella," came the quiet, musical voice of the only person she really wanted to talk to at a time like this.

Bella turned to Edward and smiled.

He walked to her side, and laid a hand against her cheek.

"I was looking for you."

"I was here; waiting." She replied.

They were silent for a moment that was spent gazing at the stars twinkling above their heads.

"It's beautiful tonight."

"Yes."

"So clear..."

Bella was silent for a moment. She wished she could disappear into the stars, and the world unknown so that she would not have to embrace her fate, her chosen tragic destiny that was within reach of her fingertips. She yearned to reach up her hand, and stretch far enough to touch the sky and grab a winking star and use it as a slingshot to take her away from here.

But she knew that even if she could, she wouldn't. The universe was nothing to her without Edward.

"Let's make the most of it," Edward suggested, his lips at her hair.

She turned to face him, her lips pressing against his. Both in sync with each other, they breathed and lived as one.

The would die as one, too.

**Albany, New York**

Addison sat amongst the rest of the guard as they waited for Heidi. Every fiber of her being yelled at her to leave now, don't wait, but she wanted her timing to be as close to perfect as possible for that moment, and she knew that that meant waiting. So here she was, sitting in the grass, watching ants crawl about in their little hills about to take more human life in order to save others. She was sure that those she killed tonight would not thank her, nor understand, but deep down, Addison knew that she had to wait.

Oh, yeah. That's right. She was going to be killed anyway.

Addison sighed inaudibly. She kept forgetting that detail.

She should leave now, it was probably better. Maybe she could give the Cullens and their friends more time... or perhaps she could kill some of her kin so that they'd have a better chance. However, she wouldn't be able to kill the one that would really make the difference. Addison glanced up at the handsome vampire to Aro's right, and sighed once more.

Demetri.

Why on Earth did she have to get that close, learning to love at last, with this particular vampire? Was this fate's cruel trick, the best way to watch her and others suffer? Maybe it was something else entirely, but she couldn't be certain because instinct had her rise to her feet with a scalding pain in her throat.

Heidi had returned.

.oOo.

Addison had drifted to the edges of the group. The remains of their victims were being disposed of as she wandered, a piercing pain in her heart. It wasn't as bad as the burning in her throat that accompanied her through feeding, driving her to take more and more and more. It was entirely different, the exact opposite. The burning was a vampire's hunger, that greedy demonic edge of her life. This piercing was love and compassion, the purest essence of her being and the strongest by far. She clung to this part of herself because it was all that she had left, the only thing that could possibly save her.

"Addison," Demetri greeted her quietly.

She glanced up at him and smiled, but it was a tight smile and she knew that she noticed it.

He stepped forward, wrapping his arms around her. She clung to his cloak, breathing in his familiar scent that she'd be able to seek out anywhere at anytime. She knew it better then she knew her own voice.

"Ah, Addison."

The words made her want to cry.

"It will get better with time."

But she didn't have time. She had made her decision, and she wasn't going to abbandon it despite how badly she wanted to at this moment. All she really wanted just now was to cling to Demetri for the rest of forever.

"Just give it some time, and it will be just a meal."

That was exactly what she was afraid of, why she had to leave now while she still wanted to go.

"It'll be okay-"

No, it wouldn't.

"-you'll see."

She wouldn't, though.

"Yeah," she said, despite the turmoil of her thoughts that contradicted this response loudly. "I suppose it will pass soon."

She smiled up at him, noting the way he relaxed when she said this.

"I'm worried about you, you know."

"You don't have to be. I'll be fine."

"Yes..." He said slowly, his shoulders tensing once more with his discomfort. "When I told you... about the Cullens-"

Addison tensed, too. Had he guessed?

"I don't know, I've just been worried that... You'll..."

_He is on to it, _Addison thought to herself, _Of course he is._

"I'm not going any where, Demetri." She lied. "The Volturi is where my loyalty lies."

.oOo.

Addison stood at the edge of the clearing near where they had stopped outside of Washington. She was always on the fringe of things, it seemed. Her eyes darted back towards the trees that sheltered her "family". The clearing seperated them now. More then that would seperate them soon. She took a deep breath, her mind still on Demetri and what they had just shared... Her lower lip trembled.

But her decision was final.

She began to run.

And once she started, it wasn't so bad. It became easier with every step. It was just her and the Earth now, together again, more alone than ever before. She ran faster, darting around the trees in her path, her movements silent and lithe as she sped through the woods and across a highway in the lights of an oncoming tractor trailer. She ran, and ran, and ran...

"Addison!" A voice called from behind her. "Addison, wait! Stop!"

"Addison!" A different voice called, as angry as the first one was frightened.

Panic filled her. She would never make it to freedom. What could she do with nothing but trees and a death sentence?

She continued running through the trees at a break neck pace. She was running so fast, she was practically invisible. Her life was as good as over now and she had nothing left to live for except running away from them and towards her last chance for survival. She didn't know anything. Not anymore. Every little life lesson, and fact had disappeared from her mind. All but one truth, one thing left that she knew for certain. She knew that she needed to keep running, that she could not stop, no matter what.

She could hear footsteps racing towards her from behind. These footsteps were familiar to her. She would have known them anywhere. At one time, she would have stopped and waited for him to come to her. The urge was still there inside of her, crying out to her, begging her to stop and wait for him. She wanted to, but she knew better. Now, if she stopped, he wouldn't hug her or have a warm smile for her. He'd kill her.

In the distance, Addison heard Demetri's voice yelling for her to stop.

She ran faster into the night.


	11. Chapter 11

**Have A Little Faith**

Chapter Eleven: The Impossible

"Addison!" Demetri called once more, hopelessly, as he and Felix chased her. It felt so wrong; hunting Addison. They'd been tracking her for an hour to no avail; she was faster.

"Any idea where she's going?" Felix asked when they finally came to a sigh.

"I have a theory," Demetri said, an aching in his chest.

"And?"

"And what?" Demetri snapped.

"What's the theory? Where's she going?"

Demetri remained silent for a few breaths, and then he said,

"I think she's going to the Cullens."

Felix blinked. "Why the fuck would she be going to them? She's never even met them and she's risking her life for them and betraying _us_?"

"...Sort of." Demetri said. He was uncomfortable and this just felt so wrong. He felt like _he_ was betraying _Addison_ and not the other way around. And it was wrong, he knew that. Felix and him had never been particularly close. Not really. And here he was endangering the woman he loved's life by spilling these secrets. As he thought on it, it made less and less sense. He was loyal to the Volturi, yes. But why should he have to give up everything for them? What have they ever done for him? He'd risked his life working for them and he'd never gotten anything in return other then the feeling that he had a purpose.

Demetri felt oddly empowered. As if he had been repressing these thoughts for centuries and now, finally, they were able to surface. Addison owed them nothing. If anything, he owed her everything he had, when he thought on it. She'd come to the Volturi, seeking life, and she'd set him free in doing so.

Demetri straightened; he knew what he had to do.

"What?" Felix asked, unaware of his fate as Demetri turned to face him.

"I'm sorry, Felix."

And with that, he severed his ties to the only home he had known.

.oOo.

Aro sat in a small cottage just within the border of Washington state. He was waiting... waiting for news...

Just then, the heavy footsteps of three beings, inhuman yet one was some what clumsy, made their way into the borrowed home. Aro's eyes widened at the sight: Alec was in the lead with Corin behind him and last was Santiago. And in Santiago's arms were the shredded pieces, moving in struggle, of Felix.

Words could not express his emotions as he stared at his Guard. Santiago crouched, attempting to repair Felix as if he were a jigsaw puzzle, as Alec began to explain.

"We chased them, Felix and Demetri, across the border. We weren't sure if we were entirely correct, it's been so long since any of us tracked without Demetri's assistance, but then we smelled them. Felix's blood, we were sure, was on the air. We had to root up the tree to get him out."

Aro was at a loss for words.

"And Demetri?" He finally asked. His best tracker, he couldn't be dead...

"He wasn't there, his scent led off in a different direction."

Aro blinked.

"His scent? Only his scent?"

"Yes," Alec confirmed.

"I don't understand. What could this-?"

"Then let me enlighten you, master," Came Felix's strained voice. Santiago had just put it back in place on his neck with his torso partway finished.

"We stopped just off the highway," Felix recited at Aro's gesture for him to speak. "Everything was fine, so I didn't expect... Anyway, Demetri was talking about how he thought Addison was headed for the Cullens-"

"The Cullens? But that makes no sense! Addison has never even met the Cullens! Why would she committ such an act of treason for strangers when we are her family?"

"Demetri didn't get that far before he had a change in heart."

Everyone stopped what they were doing to look a Felix. Santiago alone remained moving, helping to reattach Felix's limbs.

"Felix... Who did this to you?" Aro asked, breaking the bemused silence.

"Demetri, master." Felix said, without any hesitation. "Demetri was the one who attacked me. His loyalty is not with us anymore."

"It's with Addison," Aro said to himself. And, for the first time, he looked back over his thoughts on the sweet immortal he had welcomed into his Guard. He had been so happy that she had survived to join them. Now, however, he wished with his entire being that Felix had ripped her apart.

.oOo.

Addison stood towards the very top of the tree where she had saught shelter. There was something familiar about this tree that dragged her to it. Something she couldn't quite place, but it felt like... like she'd been here before.

Wary of every little movement and sound, she gazed at the ground so far below her feet, her dark cloak billowing with the breeze. She paid it no mind; she was too busy listening for another sound: the sound of inhumanly fast footsteps and a swishing cloak.

She wasn't certain about where she was headed to now. Hopefully the Cullens would come and find her and let her explain. Edward read minds, right? He'd know if she was lying, which she wouldn't be, and things would be all right. Hopefully.

She felt so lost, yet whole at last in this tree top amongst birds and squirrels and the sun and the Earth. She felt as if she'd finally reached her destination after traveling all her life. She was terrified, certainly, about the consequences of her actions. But she couldn't regret it. Life just felt right to her at this moment. She was doing what she was meant to be doing, what she should have done at the very beginning... However, as perfect as this felt to her, she couldn't help but notice that there was something missing.

Demetri.

Demetri who she loved, but didn't love her back. If she could cry, she would, without any hesitation or any attempt to smother it. She did cry tearless sobs, however, sitting here, thinking about her broken heart and how the man, or rather, vampire, she loved was coming for her, but not for love or anything of the sort. He was coming for her death.

Her sobs echoed around her, but she didn't care. She wanted to get it all out, the pain that had been bottled up inside her all these years, and these last few months. The pain that she felt within her when she took the life of another. She had to stop. She needed to put an end to it no matter how dreadful or unpreferable the alternative was, she would take it. Finally, she was alive within, and she owed it all to Demetri. He'd found her, told her of the way out. She owed him everything. And she would have given him her heart, if he had wanted it.

Suddenly, she broke off her sobs. Footsteps... too fast to be human... the swishing of a cloak... And then silence. She waited, listening for the voice of whoever was below her, whoever it was, she didn't care to see. Unless, of course, if it was-

"I am not here to punish you." Demetri called up quietly. "I have come to make an offer."

Addison didn't reply. Her heart ached terribly at his words of kindness.

Despite her better judgment, she called down, "What kind of an offer?"

"My loyalty no longer lies with the Volturi, Addison. It lies with you. I was hoping you would take me."

Her heart throbbed with emotion. He was going to kill her; playing with her like this.

"That's not a very good offer. You could easily be luring me to my death."

Demetri's laughter echoed up to her, carried by the wind.

"I do not lure people to their death, Addison."

"No," Addison said, "That's Heidi's job."

"If I wanted you dead, Addison-"

"You would have attacked by now?"

"How could I? You're too far up. No, I meant that you could stop me. Or have you forgotten about your own ability?"

"I haven't."

"Then come down," said Demetri, "I could not hurt you if it meant my own death if I refused to upon an order."

"That's what you want me to think."

But, of course, she leapt downwards, dropping down to a branch much lower, much closer to him.

Upon seeing her, he stared at her for a moment or two before smiling.

"I was told you had heard stories of the Volturi's wickedness."

"I have, and on numerous occasions."

"They are mostly true."

Addison blinked in surprise.

"My pardon?"

"Yes," He replied, leaning against a tree and watching her carefully. "The Volturi's history is filled with Aro's desire for acquisition and the fear of another's conquest, stealing his title as leader of the immortal world. His motive is power. His desires are all about power. His entire world is about it, Addison."

Addison was taken aback at this turn in conversation.

After a pause, she spoke, "Why are you telling me this now? It's not really helping your cause, you know."

"I thought I had already mentioned it. My loyalty no longer lies with the Volturi."

"... I don't understand."

"Does it really matter now?" He said, moving towards her slowly and hesitantly, afraid of scaring her away. "You want to speak to the Cullens, correct?"

"Yes, but-"

"You want to warn them. To help them. To set yourself free from your own guilt."

"Yes, but-"

"Our time is limited for answers, Addison. I have a feeling that I have only made matters worse..." He glanced over his shoulder, as if waiting for someone to come barrelling towards them to kill them before they had a chance.

"But how can I trust you, considering?"

Demetri's nervous expression shifted, and he began to laugh.

"Ah, Addison, my love," He said, and she blinked in surprise at the words. "It is about time you started to have a little faith."

Addison's shocked expression melted away, and soon she was grinning, too. She leapt down from her position in the trees and into Demetri's arms. At long last, they both heard the words they had been waiting for, the words they had never expected to hear from one another. They were spoken in unison. Somehow, it seemed appropriate. For the rest of their lives, no matter how long or short, would be spent together.

"I love you."

**A/N:** Sorry about any grammatical/ spelling errors in this chapter. I wanted to get this out for you all tonight, 'cause my father's a retard and he turns into a total computer Nazi on Sundays. Anyways... I hope you enjoyed it and I hope that you liked it. Once again, I'd like to thank you for all of your reviews and for all of you have favorited the story or put it on story alert or added me as a favorite author or put me on your author alert lists. That means so much to me, your encouragement is my motivation.

As for the story, I have a clear view of the direction its going in. I'm not so sure how much longer it will take, that's not too clear. I've really enjoyed writing about Addison and Demetri so far, I'm happy with them so the story might be longer or maybe I'll do a sequel... Yada. I haven't figured that part out yet. Anyway, don't count on updates this quick again; unless, of course, I don't get much homework on Monday and I have some inspiration to work with. Well, I think I'll post the chapter now...

Hope you're all well!


	12. Chapter 12

**Have A Little Faith**

Chapter Twelve: A Change in Plans

**A/N: **Sorry, sorry, sorry, a million times sorry for the long wait. I had, like, ten thousand essays and lab report to do on top of the usual Algebra 2 and Geometry homework. I quite nearly died from it, I swear. Anyway, here it is.

**Cullen House**

Alice sat in Carlisle's offices, flipping through the latest issue of _Elle_ France that had arrived earlier in the morning. She distracted herself with the trends of the Fall/Winter 2009 season, muttering her compliments on the designs she saw and imagining who would look best in each outfit. Despite her love of fashion, Valentino and Karl Lagerfeld didn't really have a chance when it came to getting her to forget the massacre that approached steadily and inevitably. She sighed as she thought this, her daydreams of clothes unaffordable to the average human but entirely within her budget, and closed her eyes.

A vision slipped in between the cracks of her fingers; a prophecy traveling by sunlight to reawaken her to the dangers that she and her family face. The dangers that had loomed at the edges for a few months, and then launched a surprise attack on all of them when they were paying attention to it the least.

In the vision she could see, quite clearly, Addison and Demetri, hand in hand, making their way to the destination they had been fated to arrive at.

Alice opened her eyes and smiled. Neither could do much in the face of the Volturi, but they would certainly help. Satisfaction coloured her thoughts now, her hopes confirmed with the several seconds it took for her to see what she needed to see. She considered rushing down to tell the others. She considered telling every last one that had doubted her "I told you so", causing giggles to break through the frost of fear that had held all of them paralyzed. Yet she didn't feel like it, not really. Just now, she sort of wanted to see what clothes Gucci would offer her in the Spring/ Summer 2010 season.

Because she was counting on being her when the line arrived in stores.

.oOo.

It was the afternoon when Demetri and Addison arrived at the Cullen House. With their fingers interlaced they slowed down to a walk as they approached the beautiful mansion, hidden in thicket of trees and nature. It held Addison hostage with its beauty. She gazed about this area, awestruck and oblivious, just as Demetri stepped in front of her. He did not slip into a protective crouch, though that was his instinct, he simply stood in front of Addison, guarding her against any potential threats that the people who rushed at them from the inside of that alluring house.

"Good afternoon, Demetri." Carlisle said, his tone calm and smooth, a perfect contrast to the vampires that stood, skeptical, at his side and behind him.

"Carlisle," Demetri greeted him, as Addison peered curiously around him, eyeing the strangers.

"This is a pleasant surprise."

"It was certainly an unexpected plan to visit," Demetri agreed, glancing at Addison behind him. "But, no doubt, you knew we were coming?"

"Yes," Carlisle said, smiling warmly, "We were informed."

"So you know of the nature of our visit?"

"We do."

"Then there is no need for explanations. Addison was most curious about your lifestlyle."

"Addison, yes," Carlisle said, making eye contact with the golden brown haired immortal clutching Demetri's arm, and staring about with an expression of guarded wonder.

Addison whipped her head around to look at Carlisle.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Addison."

"And you," she replied.

"We've been told that you are very curious about our lifestyle."

"I am," she replied, burying her excitement over this moment she'd been waiting for for so long. It was so strange for her now, with the answers right at her finger tips. The same answers and information she had desperately saught while fighting the depression that weighed down on her.

"I promise to tell you all that I know."

"In exchange for what?" Demetri asked, his hand holding Addison's forearm to prevent her from rushing forth into potentially hostile territory.

Carlisle's expression was instantly baffled. "I don't understand what you're asking, Demetri."

"For what price, then? We stand and die for you?"

"We would never ask that." Edward's voice said, as he and the others approached.

"Then what do you want? Secrets on the Volturi's innerworkings? You already have a psychic, and you are a mind reader. Any information we give will not be beneficial to you."

"We don't have a price on this knowledge. I believe very strongly in my lifestyle and I'm more than happy to explain it to any who ask."

It was Demetri's turn to look bemused. Addison merely looked grateful.

"Thank you," she breathed.

It's the best thing to say when words defy you.

.oOo.

Aro sat in his chair in the small house. There were not words that came to mind with which he could express his anger. So he just sat there, his fury boiling in the pit of his stomach, filling it though it had been empty for thousands of years. Caius was beside him, attempting to make conversation, to resolve the situation. But he did not, and could not, understand. There was no resolving this. There was no way anyone could make this better. This was a catastrophe, the whole ordeal. Coming to America to punish those who needed to be punished, picking a fight with the Cullens, asking Addison to join the Volturi... This was a terrible situation, and neither could make it better.

Perhaps this was the damnable Adriano's plan all along. Perhaps he had picked the fight in the first place just to slip the lovely and extraudinarily gifted Addison into their ranks so she could steal his tracker and wreck everything for him. Was this his downfall? He had scoffed at Adriano's words when they were spoken to him on that bitter battle on which so much had been lost, and the apparent gain had been a lie.

_"Adriano, what is this?"_

_"This is your downfall, Aro."_

The words sounded in his head, echoing around in his skull. He wondered if he still had brains. He didn't feel like he had brains. It all felt empty up there. Was he thinking at all? Was he really alive right now, or was this all a nightmare in hell.

_"Adriano, what is this?"_

_"This is your downfall, Aro."_

Perhaps he was dead. This could pass for hell. Yes. This was hell and he was in it. Was he on fire again? He wasn't so certain about that. He didn't feel like he was on fire and he knew exactly what it felt like. He shuddered internally at the memory of the pain.

_"Adriano, what is this?"_

_"This is your downfall, Aro."_

Maybe hell fire was a myth. Maybe there was no fire at all, just recurring, never ending nightmares. That was bad enough as it was. He didn't really need hell fire because he was already dying from the pain in his heart. It was the pain of loss and there was no cure known to humans nor vampires nor anyone else.

_"Adriano, what is this?"_

_"This is your downfall, Aro."_

His downfall, indeed.

_"This is for all the innocents you've struck down."_

All the innocents, all the innocents. There were no innocents, he didn't kill innocents.

_"This is for all the innocents you've struck down."_

That was wrong. Adriano was crazy. He never killed any innocents, he was wrong, he was confused, he was foolish, he was dead.

But if he was dead, how was he here, in his head, now?

_"This is for all the innocents you've struck down."_

The words were so loud, he thought his head would explode. Aro resisted the urge to cover his ears.

_"This is for all the innocents you've struck down."_

_"This is your downfall, Aro."_

But it hadn't been.

Because this was.


	13. Chapter 13

**Have A Little Faith**

Chapter Thirteen: Crazy Dream

**A/N:** Sorry for the the 27,000 year wait and thank you to all of you have reviewed, subscribed, etc.

Demetri sat quietly on a bench by the lake. His thoughts were whirring about, making him second guess all of his decisions up until this moment. He didn't regret standing by Addison and joining her on her mission to seek out the Cullens and assist them. He regreted joining the Volturi and all he had done as a member of the guard.

He'd been listening to the stories. He listened carefully to all the pain and hardships these vampires had gone through. All of this unnecessary suffering caused by those whose role was to protect vampires and to help them. He was full of doubts and questions he did not know if he wanted answers for. Demetri had no true desire to hear all of this information supporting the Cullens' cause and the true ways of his masters. He didn't want to sit with Addison, to speak quietly and worry about who they could trust and who might turn against them. All he wanted to do was sit on this bench and stare out at the moon shining on the surface of this clear blue lake and be alone with his own thoughts.

A part of him was screaming, telling him that leaving Addison with the Cullens by her lonesome was a bad idea. However, Carlisle was there and so was Alice. Those two seemed to be firmly on Addison and his side. Not to mention, if Addison got in any trouble, he was confident she could take care of herself. He was simply inclined to rush to her aid in any threatening circumstance.

Demetri sighed, leaning back on the bench. His eyes watched the pitch black sky lit with a trillion stars and a moon. Almost in spite of himself, he attempted to count the stars in his vision just to clear his head from everything else.

"Demetri?" A quiet and familiar voice called softly. He didn't need to turn and face her to recognize her voice by the ache in his heart in response to her very presence.

"Yes?" He didn't take his eyes off the sky nor did he cease counting.

63... 64... 65...

"What are you doing?"

"I am watching the sky."

"That's good. I need some reassurance that it isn't about to collapse on us."

Demetri laughed a low, warm laugh as Addison sat down beside him on the bench. The two sat in silence for a little while.

* * *

"Do you think that we're doing the right thing, Demetri?"

"I do not know. I can not tell. I am far to conflicted by hundreds of years of loyalty to Aro and my loyalty to you."

Addison was silent for a second.

* * *

She moved to rest her head on his shoulder and asked quietly, so quietly Demetri could tell that a part of her did not want the honest answer, "Do you think you would have turned away from the Volturi at some point if I hadn't come along?"

Demetri didn't answer immediately. The honest truth was certainly not, though he did not wish to tell Addison that nor did she want to know. "Perhaps..." He said slowly, "Eventually, I might have grown tired of serving and turned away from them. I have served the Volturi for hundreds of years, Addison, and sometimes it can be quite stressful. The stress may have gotten to me and I may have seen the reasoning of the Cullens'."

* * *

"Really?" Addison said, surprised. Clearly she had known the truth of how he felt.

"I might have, Addison. I can not be sure. However, everything happens for a reason and I am here now so clearly this is where I am meant to be."

Addison smiled. "That's incredibly reassuring."

Demetri smiled, too. "Did you have your doubts about me, Addison? Did you think that I might turn on you and join Aro's side in the midst of battle?"

"No, I trust you completely. I'm just worried that you're doing something you don't want to do simply for my sake and that doesn't feel right."

"What you want to do is what I want to do, sweetheart. My time with the Volturi has ended because of fate and you. I am sorry that I must fight them, but I will do what I have to do."

Silence overtook them. Addison closed her eyes. Demetri's fingers stroked her hair absently as he continued to count the stars above them.

* * *

"I don't think I want to fight them either. I don't want to fight at all. Even for a worthy cause." Addison admitted.

"We do not have to fight."

"I know. It's the right thing to do, though. The Cullens were kind and helpful when they didn't have to be. I owe them."

"You do not owe them your life."

"Maybe not," Addison agreed, "But I owe them my assistance and what I can give them."

"I am sorry to sound rude, Addison, but I will not let you die for them. No matter what they did for you, no matter what you owe them, I can not watch while you are slaughtered for the cause of settling your debt."

"I wasn't planning on dying for them, Demetri. I'm going to fight, sure, but if the battle takes a turn for the worse..."

"You plan to run from the Volturi?" Demetri asked, astonished.

Addison sat up to meet Demetri's eyes. "That's everyone's plan, Demetri. It's possible now that you aren't with them to go into hiding, you know."

"I know."

"And if the battle does take a turn for the worse and we run, we can spread the word."

"Organized resistence," Demetri said, understanding.

"Exactly. That way, we can help others and live our own lives at the same time."

Demetri nodded slowly. "I see your point. If I might ask, Addison, where is it exactly that we will go after all of this?"

Addison paused, thinking.

* * *

"I don't know... My mother was from Poland. I've always wanted to go there and see where she grew up."

"Poland?"

Addison grinned, "Poland. And after that, we can go anywhere... live anywhere..."

Demetri grinned, "The world is our playground."

Addison stood up, reaching out her hand. "Then let's go play."


	14. Chapter 14

**Have A Little Faith**

Chapter Fourteen: Anticipation

**A/N:** To say it's been a long time coming is an understatement. It's actually been nearly two years. Which, as far as I am concerned, is about 10 trillion years. But you all should have taken the advice I've been giving in every chapter: Have A Little Faith. 'Cause even if a character doesn't say it, it's in the title. So, without further ado, here it is: chapter fourteen.

.oOo.

"So they're fighting with us?" One of the younger werewolves asked.

"Yeah, I don't get it," said Seth, "Aren't you with the Volturi?"

Demetri sighed, glancing at Addison for motivation to refrain from ripping off every one of the wolves' heads. "Not presently," he replied simply.

"Look, we'll stand by you, okay? I feel like I owe the Cullens for their kindness to me in… showing me the ropes to this way of life. I'm going to stand by them whether you doubt me or not."

"And you?" Sam asked Demetri.

He sighed again. "I cannot very well abandon Addison, can I? Though I am not in favor of fighting my old family, I will not leave Addison to fight them on her own."

"Well, we'll be there, too-"

"Without me," Demetri added impatiently.

"Still," Sam said, "We don't want to risk it if you're not in favor-"

"He's with me," Addison said sharply. "And if you want our help- and trust me, we're valuable in a fight- you'll stop with these repetitive interrogations already."

"We're just-"

"We can trust them," said Carlisle.

"Yeah," Alice agreed, smiling at Addison, "I've been watching them both for so long, I feel like I'm friends with them."

"Watching us?" Demetri repeated, eyebrows raised.

"Yeah," Alice confirmed, as she continued to smile, "Ever since the fight Adriano started against the Volturi."

"I knew I'd seen you before," Addison said, looking at Carlisle. "Adriano asked you to join the fight."

"Yes," Carlisle said with a tight smile, "I would maintain a peaceful position now, but Jacob is one of the family. We cannot stand by and watch the Volturi kill them."

"I understand," Addison said, leaning forward in her seat, "I understand what you're feeling in regards to fighting in general and the need to stand up and do the right thing. I don't like to fight either, but if the right thing involves fighting…"

"It's an unfortunate predicament," Carlisle said, smiling warmly at Addison.

"Unfortunate indeed," Addison agreed, returning his smile.

A slight pause followed this exchange. Addison listened, as was her habit these days, to the fluttering sound of Renesmee's heartbeat. For whatever reason, the sound of it and the life attached to that steady rhythm was soothing to her.

"So should we talk strategy now?" Jacob asked, breaking the silence. The others stared a moment, before proceeding to discuss what they considered to be the best methods of dying.

.oOo.

"You said you've been watching us," Addison said to Alice later that day, as she sat on the porch steps, watching the sun dip below the horizon.

"Yeah, I hope you don't mind, I tried to look away- metaphorically speaking- when there was nudity involved." Alice replied.

Addison laughed, "I suppose I would have refrained from such actions if I had known you saw it all."

"Oh, don't worry about it."

Addison laughed again, and shook her head. "I was just wondering… when did you know? That I had changed my mind and wanted to leave the Volturi?"

"I'd answer your question, Addison, but I don't think that's what you mean to ask."

"What do you mean?" Addison asked, staring at the spot of the sky where the sun had disappeared from view.

"He knew as soon as you asked him about how we lived, when he first realized the extent of what was going through your head, that he would follow you anywhere. He didn't want to think about it, of course, but he knew he'd follow you- even if it meant him leaving the Volturi." Alice said, quite seriously.

Addison looked down, smiling slightly to herself.

"He'd follow you anywhere, you know. He followed you here and he'd follow you across the Earth."

"I know that now," Addison said quietly, not looking over at Alice.

"Which is why I want to tell you that if you were to leave now-"

"Alice-"

"No, listen to me, Addison," Alice said sharply, as Addison finally turned to look at her. "I know you don't want to fight and I know Demetri doesn't want to fight. And you don't have to, Addison, you don't owe us anything. We were happy to share with you what we could, and we wouldn't blame you if you ran away from this right now. You and Demetri, straight off into the sunset. We can't abandon the wolves or the cause but you two still can. The Volturi doesn't have their tracker anymore and Aro's losing his mind as it is. You can go," Alice said, forcibly and passionately.

"And that's exactly why I can't," Addison said softly. She smiled at Alice. "You've been so kind to me, without expecting anything in return. I couldn't live knowing I'd abandoned you here after all of this."

"Living with guilt is better than not living at all," Bella said quietly from behind them.

"We're going to live through this," Addison insisted. "I don't know why you're such a pessimist. You scared them off not too long ago, didn't you? And they're weaker now than they were then-"

"We don't have the same numbers-"

"And you don't need them," Addison said. "You don't need a whole bunch of witnesses this time when you have fighters like Demetri and I behind you to make them doubt themselves."

"Aro's losing his mind, he's not thinking straight-"

"All the better," Addison said. "If his mind's really going, it will make it all that much easier to pull his head off."

Bella gasped.

Addison turned to face her, arching an eyebrow. "How long have you been a vampire? And how old are you, while we're on the topic of ages?"

"I-" Bella started, but Alice cut her off.

"Thank you, Addison," she said, sincerely and warmly, "We all feel so much better with you and Demetri here. You know, we stand by the wolves because of friendship, family, and because we agree with them. Those vampires killed their people. They were only protecting their families, the same way the Volturi protects their city. Because of that-" Alice broke off suddenly, staring of into space as she observed the fate waiting in the wings.

"Alice?" Addison asked hesitantly, waving her hand in front of her eyes.

"Alice?" Bella exclaimed, sitting down to her left, clutching her arms. "Alice, what is it?"

At last, Alice raised her head and said the words everyone was waiting for and knew they were coming. Bella looked shocked all the same when Alice said it all the same, however.

"They're coming."


End file.
